Our body consists of various organs that help in functioning. Our work depends on the body’s functioning. Neurons are the cells that function in our bodies.
Key Takeaways
- Sensory neurons transmit information from the sensory organs to the brain and spinal cord.
- Motor neurons transmit information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands.
- Sensory neurons are afferent, while motor neurons are efferent.
Sensory Neurons vs Motor Neurons
The difference between Sensory Neurons and Motor Neurons is that Sensory Neurons will activate by input from the environment. In Contrast, Motor neurons had located in the nervous system that controls the different downstream targets. The structure and processing of both Sensory and Motor Neurons are different.
Sensory Neurons are the neuron cells that activate the sensory cells from environments. The activities from the environment go into our body through sensory neurons.
Motor Neurons are the nerve cells that had located in the Nervous System. Motor Neurons help in controlling the various downstream targets.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Sensory Neurons | Motor Neurons |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Sensory neurons are the cells that function in a living body. | Motor Neurons are the cells that control the body functioning. |
| Location | Sensory Neurons had placed in the dorsal ganglia of the spinal cord of an individual. | Motor Neurons had located in the spinal cord that connects with the nervous system. |
| Commands | Sensory Neurons controls the cells help to find the senses in the spinal cord. | Motor Neurons control the muscles, organs, glands and control muscle movements. |
| Function | Sensory Neurons activates from the surroundings and send signals to the nervous system that the information they had received. | Motor Neurons located in the nervous system transmit to the organs, glands and controls all the muscular movements. |
| Difference | Sensory Nerve cells are comprising a short axon, and their function is different. | Motor Neurons comprise a long axon compared with Sensory Neurons. |
What are Sensory Neurons?
Sensory Neurons are the cells that activate the sensory input from environmental activities.
These neuron cells had located in the dorsal ganglia in the spinal cord. The Sensory Neurons cells in the spinal cord of the human body had used to connect with the nervous system.
Sensory Neurons are of five types that help in functioning. The 5 classes of sensory neurons are;
- Mechanoreceptors
- Thermoreceptors
- Nociceptors
- Electromagnetic receptors
- Chemoreceptors
The above classes are the cells divided on their location, morphology, and depending on their response. Brain Neurons involve in sensory processing, where the visual or auditory cortex will respond to the sensory neurons.
The neurons communicate, and an electrical impulse releases the neurotransmitters. The neurotransmitters reach to bind the Special Molecules bypassing the synapse.
- Touching a hot surface
- Experiencing coldness
- Can find sweat
Many senses are getting into the brain through the sensory nerves. We can find the sensory nerves in the retina of the eye, olfactory epithelium, and ganglia.
What are Motor Neurons?
Motor Neurons are the nerve cells that had located in the nervous system. Motor Neurons help in controlling the downstream targets of the nervous system.
Motor Neurons had connected to muscles, organs, and glands in a living body and control all the movements of the muscles.
The process and construction of the Motor Neurons cells are different from the sensory nervous system. There are 5,00,000 Motor Neurons in the human body, and it carries from the central nervous to the organ systems.
Main Differences Between Sensory and Motor Neurons
- We find both Sensory and Motor Neurons in the spinal cord in our body, but both are different in their way of functioning.
- Sensory Neurons involve short axons, whereas Motor Neurons include long axons.
- https://www.jbc.org/article/S0021-9258(18)92088-0/abstract
- https://www.jneurosci.org/content/17/1/470.short
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304394016308436
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